High winds and blowing snow finally caught up with us over the weekend, leaving 395 closed from the Sherwin Grade to the Nevada state line at Topaz and travelers stranded. From Sunday afternoon to Monday, driving the highways of the Eastern Sierra became next to impossible as wind driven snow turned a good dump into a white out.

My wife and I were headed home from Bridgeport to Bishop when Conway Summit shut down around two oclock Sunday afternoon. With the wind-caused whiteouts, the Highway Patrol shut down 395 a mile or so south of Bridgeport. The highway to the north shut down soon after, leaving everyone on that section of 395 stuck in Bridgeport.

Following tire tracks on the otherwise blanked out road, we turned around to join the other stranded travelers at Rhinos Bar and Grille, the only restaurant open in town. Misery loves company, so we were fortunate to run into Sierrawave sports guy and DJ, Bob Todd, also stuck on the highway. With an unknown wait ahead, a world famous Rhino Burger, and a game of pool were not enough to keep cabin fever at bay.

Bob and his friends got a room at the only hotel open in town, and Genevieve and I went back to my parents house near Devils Gate, no easy task in that weather.

The waiting game came to end at 1:00 pm on Monday, when the road north to Yerrington opened and we decided to take the tour through Nevada to get home. Needless to say, 395 over Conway Summit opened soon after we left on the long round-about journey home.

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